It was december 20th, and I was working the pharmacy floor, and my shift was killer busy. I was puting about 50 foot spa's on the very top of the store shelves to store them for the time being, and I was 8 feet up on a 12 foot ladder trying to make my way to the top with a box under my arm, with two boxes on top of my ladder, when an SC (seeing that I obviously had nothing to do) said:
"Hey! You need to show me where the Christmas stars are!"
The SC and I obviously come from comletely different backrounds, as his definition of "need" is a bit different from mine. But, whatever. I am paid by the hour. I take care of my boxes, come down off the ladder, and show the SC where the stars that go on top of the Christmas tree's are. This was not very hard, as they were less than six feet from where he was standing in one of the stores Christmas aisles.
Me "There they are sir."
SC "That's all you got?"
Me "Well, yes."
SC "Don't you have any more Christmas stars in another part of the store?"
Me "I'm sorry?"
SC "Isn't there another section of the store with Christmas tree stars?"
Me "Ummmm... No sir, there is not."
SC "Really? This is the ONLY place in the entire store where you can find Christmas tree stars? You can't take me to another part of the store with Christmas tree stars?"
I wanted to say "WHERE dude? To the OTHER Christmas section of the store where we have 300 square feet reserved for Christmas decorations with a 20 foot long sign that says "Your Christmas Headquarters", or did you want me to take you to the part of the store where we keep Christmas stars on the shelves year round?"
Me "I am very sorry sir, but all we have is right here."
SC "So that's it?"
Me "Yes, I am afraid so". I then grabbed two boxes, and went back up my ladder. The customer just stood there for about 20 seconds half expecting me to appologise for not walking around the store with him, and then went on his way. But all and all, what did he expect me to do? Run around the store with him for the next 30 minutes looking for something that I knew for a fact did not exist?
Still though, I am getting better with my customer psychology. An SC is fairly easy to see coming (especially the do what I say or your manager will fire you SC's) and they will walk all over you if you let them, but if you stay polite while showing some backbone, the SC's will give up.
"Hey! You need to show me where the Christmas stars are!"
The SC and I obviously come from comletely different backrounds, as his definition of "need" is a bit different from mine. But, whatever. I am paid by the hour. I take care of my boxes, come down off the ladder, and show the SC where the stars that go on top of the Christmas tree's are. This was not very hard, as they were less than six feet from where he was standing in one of the stores Christmas aisles.
Me "There they are sir."
SC "That's all you got?"
Me "Well, yes."
SC "Don't you have any more Christmas stars in another part of the store?"
Me "I'm sorry?"
SC "Isn't there another section of the store with Christmas tree stars?"
Me "Ummmm... No sir, there is not."
SC "Really? This is the ONLY place in the entire store where you can find Christmas tree stars? You can't take me to another part of the store with Christmas tree stars?"
I wanted to say "WHERE dude? To the OTHER Christmas section of the store where we have 300 square feet reserved for Christmas decorations with a 20 foot long sign that says "Your Christmas Headquarters", or did you want me to take you to the part of the store where we keep Christmas stars on the shelves year round?"
Me "I am very sorry sir, but all we have is right here."
SC "So that's it?"
Me "Yes, I am afraid so". I then grabbed two boxes, and went back up my ladder. The customer just stood there for about 20 seconds half expecting me to appologise for not walking around the store with him, and then went on his way. But all and all, what did he expect me to do? Run around the store with him for the next 30 minutes looking for something that I knew for a fact did not exist?
Still though, I am getting better with my customer psychology. An SC is fairly easy to see coming (especially the do what I say or your manager will fire you SC's) and they will walk all over you if you let them, but if you stay polite while showing some backbone, the SC's will give up.
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